- Smruti Naik-Jones becomes Chief Sustainability Officer for Deloitte EMEA, covering more than 80 countries across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
- Deloitte EMEA brings together 16 participating firms, 6,000 partners and 132,000 professionals, with reported revenues of €20 billion ($23.3 billion).
- The new regional business plans more than €1.5 billion ($1.7 billion) in incremental investment over four years, including GenAI, sovereign cloud, sector solutions and energy transition capabilities.
Deloitte Builds Regional Sustainability Leadership
Deloitte has appointed Smruti Naik-Jones as Chief Sustainability Officer for its newly launched Europe, Middle East and Africa business, placing sustainability leadership at the centre of a major regional restructuring.
Deloitte EMEA officially launched on 1 June 2026. The business brings together 16 participating firms across more than 80 countries. It includes 6,000 partners, 132,000 professionals and reported revenues of €20 billion ($23.3 billion).
Naik-Jones steps into the role after 20 years at Deloitte. She previously served as the first Chief Sustainability Officer for Deloitte UK and North and South Europe. In that position, she led the firm’s “WorldClimate” strategy, which focuses on Deloitte’s own net zero and sustainability agenda.
Her new role gives her responsibility for Deloitte’s sustainability strategy and ambition across EMEA. That includes the firm’s climate and sustainability transformation journey across a region shaped by different policy regimes, capital markets and transition risks.
“We are at a pivotal moment in an important region. My priority for Deloitte EMEA is to play a leading role in helping drive this transition to a sustainable future.”
A New Structure For Cross-Border Client Demand
Deloitte said the new EMEA business is designed to strengthen collaboration across borders at greater scale and speed. Each participating firm will remain responsible for the services it provides in its own market.
The structure follows a successful partner vote and several years of closer regional collaboration. Deloitte said the new model will support shared priorities through investment in innovation, technology platforms and talent development.
The firm plans to deploy more than €1.5 billion ($1.7 billion) in incremental investment over the next four years. Investment areas include generative AI, sovereign cloud capability, sector-specific solutions and technologies to help clients navigate fast-changing markets.
For C-suite leaders, the shift matters beyond Deloitte’s internal structure. Global clients are increasingly asking advisers to deliver across borders, while also managing regulation, digital transformation and climate transition plans. That requires regional coordination, local execution and deeper technology capability.
Richard Houston, currently CEO of Deloitte North and South Europe and Deloitte UK, will serve as CEO of Deloitte EMEA. “Deloitte EMEA uniquely strengthens our ability to invest at scale across borders to accelerate innovation in areas that matter most to our clients. It builds on our market-leading local partnerships while supporting collaboration at a regional level.”
Volker Krug, CEO of Deloitte Germany, will serve as Deputy CEO. “Greater alignment within the EMEA region enables us to scale our capabilities, share expertise efficiently, and deliver even more value for our clients, our people and the markets we serve.”
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Net Zero Targets Face A Larger Delivery Platform
Deloitte’s sustainability strategy sits against its wider net zero commitments. The firm has committed to reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions across its value chain by FY2040, measured at the aggregate network-wide level.
That long-term target includes a 90% reduction in Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions by FY2040 from an FY2019 baseline. Deloitte has also set near-term targets. These include reducing absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 70% by FY2030 from an FY2019 base year.
For Scope 3, the firm aims to reduce emissions from business travel by 55% per full-time equivalent employee by FY2030. Business travel remains a material issue for professional services firms, where client work, cross-border delivery and senior engagement often drive emissions.
Naik-Jones’ appointment places those commitments inside a larger regional business. That creates both opportunity and pressure. A wider EMEA platform could improve consistency in governance, data, reporting and client delivery. It also raises expectations that Deloitte can show measurable progress across a complex and diverse region.
Why Investors And Executives Should Watch
The launch of Deloitte EMEA reflects a wider shift in professional services. Large advisory networks are reorganising to meet demand for integrated delivery across sustainability, technology, finance and regulation.
For boards and investors, this matters because the sustainability agenda is no longer isolated from digital investment. Climate reporting, transition planning, carbon accounting, nature risk and supply chain oversight all require technology, governance and sector expertise.
Joe Ucuzoglu, Deloitte Global CEO, said the new structure responds to that demand. “Today marks a historic moment for Deloitte. The EMEA region forms a critical component of the global economy – home to many of the world’s most influential companies, and a key market for multinationals headquartered around the globe. Our clients expect leading expertise wherever it is based, alongside seamless cross-border and technology-enabled delivery at speed. The creation of Deloitte EMEA will enhance our ability to deliver the very best capabilities to the world’s leading companies.”
The regional business also builds on Deloitte investment initiatives in banking transformation, energy transition and M&A capabilities. That positions sustainability as part of a broader market strategy, not a standalone function.
For EMEA, the stakes are significant. The region includes advanced regulatory markets, fast-growing economies and energy systems under pressure. Deloitte’s new sustainability leadership will be judged on how well it turns scale into delivery for clients, markets and its own net zero pathway.
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